300850 Discipline and Punish (S) (SoSe 2025)

How does power shape our lives? What connects prisons, schools, hospitals, and workplaces? And how have systems of discipline evolved over time? This course explores these questions through a close reading of Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish, a foundational work in the study of power, surveillance, and social control.

We will trace Foucault’s analysis of punishment from public executions to modern disciplinary institutions, examining key concepts such as the panopticon, normalization, and biopower. Alongside Discipline and Punish, we will engage with sociological and philosophical perspectives that expand, critique, or apply Foucault’s ideas to contemporary issues, including mass incarceration, digital surveillance, and governance in neoliberal societies.

Class discussions will emphasize both theoretical analysis and real-world applications, helping students develop a critical perspective on how power operates in different social contexts. Readings will consist of the book "Discipline and Punish" alongside shorter texts that provide historical background, alternative viewpoints, and contemporary case studies. As the course requires a lot of reading preparation, a few asynchronous self-study classes will be integrated into the seminar plan.

After completing this course, students will have:

1) developed a strong understanding of Foucault’s central arguments in Discipline and Punish and their significance for sociology.
2) critically engaged with key debates on discipline, surveillance, and institutional power, drawing connections between Foucault’s work and other theoretical perspectives.
3) applied Foucault’s concepts to contemporary Western society, analyzing issues such as modern surveillance, criminal justice systems, and institutional forms of control beyond the prison.

Bibliography

Foucault, Michel. 1995. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. New York: Vintage Books.